# lion

Pronunciation: say "LY-uhn" /ˈlaɪən/

## Noun

1. A large, tawny wild cat of Africa and India that lives in groups, the male having a shaggy mane.
   - Simple: A big yellow-brown wild cat of Africa and India that lives in groups. The male has long hair around its head.
   - _At dusk the lion rose from the grass and began stalking the wildebeest herd._
   - _Ancient writers described lions living in the mountains of northern Greece._
2. Any of several big cats, living or extinct, especially the mountain lion.
   - Simple: Any of several big wild cats, living or extinct, especially the mountain lion of the Americas.
   - _Wildlife officers tracked the lion to a rocky ledge above the trailhead outside Boulder._
   - _Ice Age deposits in California preserve the bones of lions far larger than today's African species._
3. A person of great strength, courage, or ferocity, qualities associated with lions.
   - Simple: A person who is very brave, strong, or fierce.
   - _In the courtroom she was a lion, tearing apart every weak argument the defense offered._
   - _Critics called the young senator a lion for taking on the party establishment._
4. A Chinese foo dog, a stylized lion statue traditionally placed as a guardian at gateways and entrances.
   - Simple: A statue of a lion that stands guard at the doors of temples and other buildings in China.
   - _Following tradition, the owners placed a pair of carved lions, one male and one female, at the entrance of their new restaurant in Chinatown._
   - _The bronze lion at the gate rested one paw on an ornamental ball._
5. A celebrity who attracts eager interest and curiosity from others.
   - Simple: A famous person that everyone wants to meet and watch.
   - _Fresh from her solo flight across the Atlantic, she was the lion of the Washington social season._
   - _Every hostess in the city competed to seat the visiting poet, that winter's lion, at her table._
6. A pale brown shade like the color of a lion's coat.
   - Simple: A light brown color, like the fur of a lion.

## Adjective

7. Of a light brown color resembling the fur of a lion.
   - Simple: Light brown, like the fur of a lion.

## Other meanings

- (noun) Any of several old Scottish coins bearing a lion on the obverse.

## Origin

Ancient Greek λέων (léōn), whose own origin is unclear, gave Latin leō (accusative leōnem). From Latin it passed to Old French as lion and was borrowed into Middle English as lyoun. It pushed out Old English lēo, which had come from the same Latin word.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lion (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).